Pratical Cost Pilot

Know where the money is going before it's spent.

Overspends rarely arrive as a surprise. They build up quietly in supplier commitments, unapproved changes and invoices nobody has matched, and then appear all at once at the steering committee.

CostPilot™ brings budgets, budget changes, commitments, invoices, payments, expenses and forecasts into one Excel workbook. It flags budget risk early, so you see the problem while you can still do something about it.

Who it's for

•    Project and programme managers who are accountable for a budget

•    PMOs that need a consistent view of spend across several projects

•    Finance teams that need a clear, auditable trail from budget to payment

What it does for you

•    One source of truth. Budgets, commitments, invoices, payments and expenses in one place, instead of five spreadsheets and an email chain.

•    A clean audit trail. Budget changes are tracked alongside the original budget, so every movement can be explained.

•    Early warning on overspend. Forecast spend is compared with budget automatically, and budget risks are flagged before they become overruns.

•    Built for a portfolio. Track up to 20 projects, 12 cost categories and 12 cost centres in one workbook.

•    No manual calculations. Totals, variances and forecasts calculate themselves as you enter transactions.

What's included

•    CostPilot™ cost control workbook (Excel, .xlsx)

•    Illustrated user manual (PDF)

For less than the cost of one hour of a finance analyst's time, you get a clear, defensible view of every project's spend. Download it and load your first budget today

Compatibility

•     Works in Microsoft Excel 2016 or later / Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac

•     Word and PowerPoint files open in Microsoft Office 2016 or later / Microsoft 365

•     Not designed for Google Sheets or Apple Numbers: protected formulas and some features may not work there

Licence

One purchase licenses one named user / one organisation to use and adapt the files for internal use. Consultants may use the files to deliver work for their clients / with one client per licence. You may not resell, share or redistribute the files, in original or modified form.

Refunds

Because these are instant digital downloads, all sales are final / refunds are available within 14 days if a file is faulty and we can't fix it. If anything doesn't work as described, contact us through the Contact page and we'll help.

Frequently asked questions

Can I edit the files? Yes. Excel formulas are protected so they can't break by accident; you fill in the white input cells. Word and PowerPoint files are fully editable, so you can add your own logo and terminology.

Will it work in my currency? Yes. All templates are currency-neutral and work anywhere in the world.

Do I get updates? Yes, free updates to this version are sent to your download link / Updates are released as new versions.

How do I get my files? You get a download link by email straight after purchase.

Can I see it before I buy? Yes. Download the free preview from the link above to see what's inside.